False Perfection
by Shree
Summary: Lily thinks her life is perfect- a great boyfriend, great friends, and pretty much anything a girl could want. But maybe her life isn’t so perfect. Maybe the missing piece is the person she’d least expect it to be…Starts a bit slow! RR! CH 8 is up!
1. Summer's Last Kiss

1 Summary: Lily thinks her life is perfect- a great boyfriend, great friends, good grades, and pretty much anything a sixteen-year-old girl could want. But maybe her life isn't so perfect. Maybe the missing piece is the person she'd least expect it to be…R/R!  
  
Disclaimer: Everything's J.K.'s except a few characters, the plot, and most of the events…  
  
A/N: Please do not tell me how things were in the times of Lily and James- either Muggle or magical. I did not even BOTHER with all that, so if you told me, then it would just be a waste of time, cuz I already know!!!  
  
1.1 FALSE PERFECTION  
  
2 Chapter 1: Summer's Last Kiss  
  
"Lily?" Andrea Cox, Lily Evans' gorgeous brunette best friend broke the silence. Andrea's straight, shoulder-length hair was strewn about her face and around her head. Her hands were entwined on her stomach, and her brown eyes gazed up at the blue sky above her.  
  
"Yeah?" Lily responded, her body in a similar position next to her best friend. Her feet, however, were by Andrea's head, as Andrea's were to Lily's own beautiful head. Her fiery red curls were fanned around her head, green eyes also gazing up at the sky wonderingly.  
  
"I was just thinking how lucky we are," Andrea replied.  
  
"Oh, really?" Lily asked, smiling, "Please, explain your brilliant thought."  
  
"All right, I will!" Andrea exclaimed, sitting up and staring down at her best friend, "First of all, there's the fact that we have each other as amazing friends…"  
  
"THAT, I can agree to. Go on," Lily teased.  
  
"Then, there's the fact that we go to a great school," Andrea continued, ticking off her fingers. Both her and Lily attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and were in their sixth year.  
  
Lily cocked her head to one side, bit her lip, and squinted to ponder this one.  
  
Seeing her friend's reaction, Andrea added, "With the exception of fellow attendees James Potter and Sirius Black." She was referring to two of the school's best pranksters, who seemed to have it in for Lily and Andrea especially. Lily nodded at this last statement.  
  
"We've got a great home with a great family," Andrea went on. Liyl flinched, but Andrea continued, "Except for that wretched sister of yours, whom you never see anyways, because she's always out with that new boyfriend of hers."  
  
"True," Lily admitted, biting her lip.  
  
"And lastly, we've both got great, dedicating boyfriends," Andrea finished proudly.  
  
Lily sat up, and turned a bit to the right to face her best friend, "All right, so you're right. We're pretty lucky."  
  
"Yes we are," Andrea agreed, as she lay back down on the green grass. Lily took note of this and followed suit.  
  
They lay in silence for a few moments, either pondering the two's most recent conversation, of in Lily's case, wondering if the fluffy cloud straight above her looked like a dinosaur wearing a hula skirt.  
  
Their trains of thought were broken, however, as a male voice interrupted, "What are you two ladies up to?"  
  
Lily smiled as she recognized the voice, and sat up to make sure. Confirmation awaited her, as her petite self raced for the speaker- her boyfriend, Evan Carmichael. Evan's waiting arms wrapped around Lily's as their bodies touched. Evan lifted her up and swung her in a circle before placing her back on the ground.  
  
Andrea, meanwhile, had gotten up herself, and had her arms wrapped around her boyfriend Patrick's neck, who in turn had his arms around her waist. Lily hadn't even noticed her boyfriend's best friend beside Evan, too wrapped up in her own love.  
  
"So who won?" Andrea asked, eyebrows raised expectantly, referring to the tennis match Patrick and Evan had played just prior to the four's meeting.  
  
"That bastard," Patrick Flanagan replied, glaring his blue eyes in mock hatred at Evan as Andrea played with his blond spiked hair.  
  
Evan, who also had blond hair, took no notice. Instead, Lily felt his intense gaze resting on her.  
  
All it took was a questioning glance on her part before Evan answered, "Just thinking about how school starts tomorrow."  
  
Immediately, Lily's spirits dropped a level or two. She didn't hate school. In fact, she found it quite interesting, which may be why she was among the top students in her year. But her thoughts were of other things… 'No more television, no more Muggle sports, no more homework-less time, n-'  
  
"No more making out of the back porch swing," Evan stated, a grin on his face, as if he knew he had just finished Lily's thoughts.  
  
Lily grinned, and leaned back, Evan holding onto her waist, her to his forearm. Se saw an upside-down world. Lily closed her eyes, and basked in the sunlight upon her skin.  
  
Evan laughed, and pulled her back up. Lily turned to Andrea, who stated, "My mum is expecting us for dinner." Lily was staying for the last two weeks of the summer vacation.  
  
"Right," Lily nodded.  
  
"So, you guys want to come over for dinner?" Andrea asked.  
  
"If you're there," Patrick grinned.  
  
"No Patrick, I'll be here while you guys walk into my house and eat the dinner my mum serves you. But don't worry! I'll be here when you're finished!" Andrea answered sarcastically, but in a playful tone.  
  
The four laughed and walked down the small hill in which they had been upon, towards one of the private houses at the bottom. Patrick lived not 100 yards away, in a house very similar to Andrea's, where Evan was also staying for part of their summer vacation.  
  
Dinner consisted of not only a delicious meal, but the table shaking every now and then from the teens kicking each other under the it. Mrs. Cox kept shaking her head, and Mr. Cox continually muttered something that sounded much like, "Teens." Andrea's 18-year-old sister Paige was already at her boarding school for the year, so at least it was much more quiet than it would've been if she was there. Not to mention there was much less food-flinging.  
  
The girls ended their last night of that summer with a goodnight kiss from each of their boyfriends, and falling into a deep sleep. 


	2. The Legend of Jim Bob-Bob

A/N: James is in this chapter, as it's from his point of view. There's also plenty of Sirius! Watch out!  
  
Thanks to all you people who reviewed! I really appreciated it!:  
  
Princess Gin-Gin: Thank you very much! I know, Evan's starting to grow on me, too!  
  
G.D. Jade: I'm still working out the details! I hope you'll like it!  
  
Rinoa: Don't worry! James is in this chapter! Lucky for me, too!  
  
Sirius' Lover: Thanks very much!!!  
  
I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations!  
  
Chapter 2: The Legend of Jim Bob-Bob  
  
"Sirius! Give that back!" James Potter shouted. He scrambled off the ground and chased after his best friend, who was running about, arms flailing, with a book in one of his hands. He was cackling as well. It was a sight that was enough to make anyone question his sanity.  
  
"Hee hee hee! What have we got here?!?!?" Sirius Black asked in a high-pitched, eerie voice.  
  
James ran at top speed towards his best friend and yanked the book out of Sirius' hands. James glared and held the book protectively behind his back.  
  
"Come on, Jimmy! Give me one more thrill before school starts!" Sirius whimpered, " PLEEEEEASE let me read your journal?"  
  
"One, NO!" James exclaimed, "And two, don't call me Jimmy!"  
  
Sirius smiled like the Cheshire cat in 'Alice in Wonderland' and replied, "All right, Jim Bob-Bob!"  
  
James soundlessly mouthed words before shouting, "Where the hell did Jim Bob-Bob come from?!?!"  
  
"Godric's Hollow! You don't even know where you come from?!?!" Sirius asked incredously.  
  
James was tired. Normally, he loved his summers, and never wanted them to end. But this summer was different. This summer, Mr. and Mrs. Black had to travel to Geneva on business, and had left Sirius at the Potter residence. Of course, Sirius was James' best friend, but too much of him could drive anyone insane! Which was why James could hardly wait for school to start the next day.  
  
At school, James felt at home. All the many passages and tunnels that he, Sirius, and two other friends- Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigew- had discovered over their five years at Hogwarts. The only thing he hated about Hogwarts was the fact that Severus Snape and Lucius Malfoy, two very revolting Slytherins, also attended. James believed these two were built to make his life a living hell. They achieved this easily but being alive. Their mere presence was enough to make James feel sick, which was why he also dreaded Potions classes with the Slytherins. However, he also found Potions class fun, because not only was he good at it, but it also gave great opportunity for him and his friends to play pranks on the Slytherins.  
  
Sirius, who had a short attention span, was off again, "So, James, you gonna ask someone out this year?"  
  
Several girls at Hogwarts- Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and Slytherins alike adored James. If he or any of his friends played a prank on them, they would swoon, and believe James liked him. This eventually led to stalking, which James was appalled by. He hated it because the teachers couldn't miss a group of giggling girls following boys, which made pulling pranks much harder. Of course, not all girls were like this. Lily Evans and Andrea Cox, for starters, did not believe for a second that when James placed Dungbombs in their book bags, he liked either one of them. In fact, they thought the polar opposite, which may have been worse than the stalking, since Lily was the best Charms student in Gryffindor, if not the whole school.  
  
"I don't think I will this year, Sirius. There's no one I like," James replied reasonably, "Maybe next year."  
  
"NEXT year?" Sirius scoffed, "That's what you say every year! And every year, you end up alone."  
  
"Name someone then, and I might think about it," James responded.  
  
"Lily," Sirius replied simply," as he began to run in circles around James.  
  
"EVANS!?!?" James shouted, causing nearby birds in the field with them to flee.  
  
"No, Lily PAD!" Sirius exclaimed sarcastically, still running around. It was late in the day, and although he was still running, he didn't seem as energized as he had been earlier, "YES, Evans!!!"  
  
James sat down cross-legged in the grass, dumbstruck. Sirius tripped over his knee and practically flew five feet before landing with a thud. Thirty seconds later, he said, "OW. That. Hurt."  
  
James shook his head, "There's no way I could date Lily Evans."  
  
"And why not?" Sirius asked, before looking up to nowhere, pointing and saying, "Cheese."  
  
"For one thing," James ticked off his fingers, "She's dating Evan Carmichael. Two, she is SUCH a goody-goody! Always so into her schoolwork. Three, she hates me." He finished simply.  
  
Sirius didn't even seem to hear James' reply. He was jogging, though dragging his feet, on the grass, towards the direction he had pointed in. He was still saying, "Cheese!" every few seconds.  
  
"Sirius! That's the moon!" James shouted after his best friend. But Sirius didn't hear him, as he was off in his own little world.  
  
"Sirius! NO! Don't eat that mushroom! Sirius, NO! NO!!!!!! Stop that! Don't eat that! Sirius- ugh…" James shouted. As he finished, he ducked his head, and placed his hand over his eyes, which were part of the look of disgust on his face, "Ew…"  
  
Before Sirius could do any more damage to his internal organs, James dragged him by his arm back to the house, as it was getting dark. Once inside, James tied Sirius up in a straitjacket, one that he had transfigured from a button during the school year before that summer, once he had knew Sirius was staying.  
  
After getting his mum to give Sirius a Sleeping Potion, and placing his best friend in bed, James went to sleep himself, dreaming of Hogwarts. 


	3. Smile

Thanks to the following people for reviewing!  
  
Candy McFierson: Jim Bob-Bob? Well, let's just say me and my friends have fun sometimes…  
  
Hilcap: I got that from Drama class…Ah, improv…  
  
AngelsChains124: Thanks!  
  
Phoenix6545: Thanks to you too!  
  
Eveline: I'm writing! I'm writing!!  
  
Again, thanks!  
  
A/N: Lily's POV now…  
  
  
  
Chapter 3:  
  
  
  
"Evan..." Lily called, turning to her boyfriend.  
  
"Yeah, Lils?" Evan answered, a grin on his face. He wore jeans, and a white shirt with a red backwards cap that covered his forehead, right to the top of his eyebrows.  
  
"I was just wondering..." Lily started hesitantly.  
  
"Wondering what?" Evan asked, slightly concerned.  
  
"Wondering...if you could help me with my bags," Lily replied shamefully.  
  
"No problem," Evan grinned, easily lifting the bags along with his own, and walking towards the scarlet train.  
  
The truth was, Lily hadn't been wondering if he would carry her bags. She could hold her own as well as anyone. She had wanted to ask Evan if he was serious about her, or if they were just wasting their time. Lily was very insecure about relationships, in truth, but she had been cowardly when attempting to discuss the topic with Evan.  
  
Sighing, Lily told herself she'd do it soon, and, twisting her fingers and biting her lip, Lily followed Evan to the train.  
  
"Lils, you gotta try this parfait," Evan stated, lifting a forkful of the dessert to his  
  
girlfriend's mouth.  
  
Lily chewed the food, smiling, then gave Evan a peck on the lips, just for the heck of it.  
  
Almost immediately, a voice yelled from behind them, "PDA! PDA! Augh! Stop the madness!!" Lily turned to face the speaker, and for some reason, was not at all surprised to see none other than Sirius Black with a look of disgust on his face. When one first saw Sirius' dark brown hair, and brown eyes, they might think he was cute. Sophisticated, even. But then he'd open his mouth and any previous image was diminished and replaced by an immature, loud-mouthed jerk.  
  
"My eyes can't take it! I'm scarred for life! God help us all!" Sirius shouted on.  
  
Shooting him a withering glance, Lily stood up, glaring. She took a step closer to Sirius.  
  
Before Sirius could even receive a good punch in the gut, Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, stood and announced the end of the feast.  
  
Evan took Lily's hand, and as Gryffindor prefects, they led the house to the common room.  
  
Lily awoke the next morning with a yawn. Or, she tried to yawn. But she  
  
couldn't! Her mouth wouldn't budge!  
  
Lily sat up, frantic. She looked into a nearby mirror and saw her face grinning broadly back at her. If she didn't know any better, Lily might think it was a regular day. Maybe a national holiday or her birthday, judging by the size of the grin. But when she looked at her eyes, Lily saw fear.  
  
Panic mounting, Lily attempted to scream, but all that came out was a shrill squeak. Lily threw a pillow at Andrea, who awoke slowly.  
  
Squinting at her best friend, Andrea greeted, "Someone's happy this morning."  
  
Lily searched for an idea in her head to inform Andrea of her situation, because obviously, Andrea saw nothing wrong.  
  
Grabbing a piece of parchment and a quill, Lily scrawled her epidemic. After Lily passed the note to her best friend, Andrea read the words. Slowly, her face went from concern to laughter.  
  
"What's so funny?!?!?" Lily wanted to shout. Instead, all that came out was a loud frustrated cry of help.  
  
Andrea stopped laughing enough to inform her friend of her suspicions, "Sirius."  
  
Lily tried to express her anger, but as she couldn't speak, and couldn't use facial expressions, she balled up her fists and pounded her right fist into the palm of her left.  
  
At this Andrea keeled over laughing. After a few minutes, she was able to wheeze out, "Look...in...mirror!"  
  
Lily did this and saw, in fact, that the sight was quite amusing. She wasn't sure if she looked very happy or very, very angry.  
  
Lily almost felt like laughing, but then her rage came back. Without informing Andrea, Lily bolted out of the dorm and into the common room where she saw Sirius playing chess. He looked rather cheerful until her saw Lily running towards him, and despite the smile on her face, Sirius could tell she was angry.  
  
Sirius scrambled out of his seat and grabbed his wand from inside his robes, a look of fear displayed blatantly on his face, "Lily!" Sirius forced a weak smile on his face, backing away from Lily.  
  
Lily cocked her head to the side, and stepped closer to Sirius, the smile still plastered on her face. James interrupted just as Sirius backed right into the wall, "What did he do to you Lily? And why do you look so happy?"  
  
Lily turned to face the speaker. As she couldn't explain herself, she waved to Andrea, who had followed Lily to the common room after her sudden departure  
  
"Your friend here," Andrea started, jerking her head towards Sirius at the word 'friend', "Played a joke on Lily. She can't talk or use any other facial expressions except the one that Sirius so graciously gave to her." Andrea finished sarcastically.  
  
James looked bewildered for a moment, but then his face broke into a smile, "Nice one Sirius!" James gave a very unsure Sirius a high five.  
  
"I am the master," Sirius stated cockily. But then he saw Lily nearly an inch away from him, and the smile was wiped away from his face.  
  
Lily, not being able to say anything, grabbed parchment and a quill out of an innocent second-year's hands and scrawled something.  
  
She handed the parchment to Sirius who read the words aloud, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kick your ass." Sirius looked a little frightened, but James was actually laughing.  
  
Andrea stepped up to him, getting in his face. "And WHAT, may I ask, is so funny?" She demanded.  
  
James stopped laughing quickly at Andrea's hard glare, "Er...nothing."  
  
"Good," Andrea replied. Then she turned to Sirius, "Sirius, change her back."  
  
Sirius grinned broadly, "Can't. 24-hour spell. No reversal."  
  
Lily's eyes flashed and before anyone knew what was happened, Sirius was on his back on the ground, with Lily on top of him.  
  
"AUGH!!!! Sweet mother of chocolate! Get this snickelfritz off me!" Sirius cried as Lily grabbed the neck of his robes and shook him madly.  
  
Lily stopped at Sirius' odd choice of words. Sirius took this as an opportunity to fling Lily to the side and scramble towards the boys' dormitory. It didn't take Lily long to chase after him, taking the steps upstairs three at a time.  
  
No one in the common room dared to follow, not even James. Andrea wore a satisfied smile as they heard Sirius' cries for help and some banging. After a few minutes, the noises subsided, and Lily entered the common room once again, but this time, her grin looked real. Sirius followed not to far behind, his robes tattered in some places, blood dripping from his forehead, with obvious signs of budding bruises by his eyes and jawline.  
  
Some of the guys whistled sympathetically and some muttered, "Ouch..." while shaking their heads. James went to his friend's aid, helping him with his cut, and magicking his robes as good as new.  
  
Lily sat down in a nearby red couch, seeming to thoroughly enjoy Sirius' moans of, "Never again will I play a prank on that snickelfritz..." and, as James touched the slowly swelling spot by his eye, he shouted, "OWW!!!!!!!!!!!" 


	4. Snix and a Beautiful...Understanding...

Thanks to the following reviewers:  
  
Silverkonekotsukari: I love that Sirius, too! He's my fave character, so I thought I'd make him a bit like me! A tad psychotic.  
  
Nat: Thanks Natters! Just for the record, Jim Bob-Bob was originally Derek's idea.  
  
Hpfan1750: I will keep updating! As fast as I can write and type and post on here while continuing with my daily life! LoL!  
  
Phoenix6545 and Quack Quack 88: Thanks!  
  
tta: I know he's weird! But ya gotta love him!  
  
A/N: I know I haven't written in awhile, and all of my fans, if I had any, have probably deserted me, but I'm gonna keep writing anyway!!!  
  
CHAPTER 4:  
  
One week later, Lily was in Charms class with a polka-dotted hat in front of her. The other students in class all still had their plain grey hats in front of them. But Lily was no stranger to being finished first in Charms class, which was why she was always able to write so many notes to her friends.  
  
This class, however, Lily didn't feel like passing notes. She felt a burning desire to get revenge on Sirius for his previous prank on her the week before. She didn't think giving him a couple black eyes, which were just starting to heal, was enough to quench her humiliation, which was still practically branded in her memory. She couldn't stop thinking about all the laughs from people passing her in the hallways. They had pointed and given Sirius high fives when they had found out it was his handiwork.  
  
A sudden idea came to her, as she raised her wand, pointing the tip at Sirius, who was glaring at his hat. 'Perfect,' Lily thought, 'He's completely unaware.'  
  
A mischievous glint in her eye, Lily muttered an incantation.  
  
After the words were said, Lily then leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms. She felt lucky to be seated in the back that day, so she could observe the repercussions of her actions.  
  
The bell rang five minutes later, and only then, when Peter stood up, did he notice Sirius' head. A hat, bright orange, sat tilted on his head, clashing horribly with the neon green of Sirius' hair. Lily knew Sirius would hate her for this, since he was always going on about how incredibly stylish he was.  
  
Lily looked on as Peter animatedly informed Sirius of his new look, and was highly amused at Sirius' reaction. First disbelief, then shock, then utter fear. Sirius placed his hand on top of his head and felt around. Much to his dismay, and Lily's joy, it was true, and Lily almost burst out laughing when Sirius tried to rip the hat off of his head and couldn't.  
  
When James, Peter, and Remus tried to help their friend and didn't succeed, Lily's classmates burst into laughter, Lily joining in.  
  
As realization dawned on Sirius, he turned to face his fellow Gryffindors, and finally, his eyes fell upon Lily, who was practically stamping her feet in laughter. His eyes narrowed, and as Lily finally stopped laughing, she wiggled her fingers at him, and walked out of the classroom with Evan, Andrea and Patrick following close behind.  
  
Lily couldn't help turning around for one last look at her handiwork. As she looked on, she nearly burst out laughing again as she saw Sirius bent over so Professor Flitwick could un-do the spell. Lily grinned with satisfaction as she remembered the caution in the book where she had gotten the spell from: WARNING - Spell lasts 48 hours.  
  
"That was brilliant, Lily!" Andrea praised, sitting down in her seat at Gryffindor table, placing her books beside her plate.  
  
"Really," Patrick agreed, nodding as he himself reached for a piece of steak.  
  
"Thanks," Lily grinned. She had received several comments on her way to the Great Hall. Word had spread quickly of Sirius' new look. Those who did not believe it, soon saw for themselves. Several students had added their own temporary touches in passing him by. Currently, he had not only the green hair and shockingly orange hat, but also deep purple parachute pants and a yellow ruffled shirt that looked as though it had been worn in medieval times. Not to mention the shocking amount of 'Kick Me' and other such signs on Sirius' back. He hadn't seemed to have noticed these yet, which made it all the more hilarious for Lily to see Sirius' bewildered look whenever someone walked up to him and booted him in the shins!  
  
Even the teachers joined in the fun, after all the many pranks he had pulled on them over the years. Professor McGonagall, a strict Transfiguration teacher and Head of Gryffindor House, even surprised everyone by following some advice on Sirius' nose that read, 'Tweak Me'.  
  
In other words, Sirius was not amused.  
  
Later that evening in Gryffindor's common room, he sat alone in the corner, facing the fire. Anyone who came within ten feet of him, including his friends, soon wished they hadn't because of the killer glare plastered on his face.  
  
Lily was the only one brave enough to step up to him.  
  
Sirius' immediate reaction was, "You're going to kick me, aren't you?" He looked miserably up at Lily.  
  
"No Sirius, of course not," Lily replied warmly, "I think you have enough bruises already."  
  
Sirius nodded gratefully. Lily sat down in a chair facing Sirius and they were silent for a few moments.  
  
"You know, Snickelfritz, I don't think I'll ever pull a prank on you again," Sirius declared.  
  
Smirking, Lily replied, "Really? And why's that?"  
  
Grinning, Sirius answered, "Because you're pretty damn good at revenge."  
  
Lily laughed and then smiled wickedly, "You know, something tells me this is the start of a beautiful.understanding."  
  
Sirius nodded and starting drumming his fingers on her right hand against the fingers on his left, while rocking back and forth in his chair.  
  
BAM!  
  
Suddenly, Sirius' chair was backwards, Sirius still sitting in it. Sirius let out a groan while Lily laughed. She then helped him up.  
  
Sirius sighed and then said, "Thanks, Snickelfritz."  
  
Lily looked uncomfortable then, "Um, Sirius? Could you maybe not call me Snickelfritz?"  
  
Sirius looked heartbroken, "Snickelfritz not like her name?"  
  
"Well, it's kinda weird.and long," Lily added as an afterthought.  
  
Sirius sighed, "Okay." then he brightened, "Can I call you Snix?"  
  
This time it was Lily's turn to sigh, "Alright."  
  
Sirius clapped like a three-year-old excitedly, "Yay!"  
  
Just then, Evan walked over, placing his arm protectively around Lily's shoulders, and stated, "Well, you two seem to be.erm.*bonding*."  
  
Sirius was practically shaking with fear, and he had good reason to, as Evan was considerably taller and more built than he, "Y-y-yessir!"  
  
Lily laughed and poked Evan's side, "You're not jealous, are you?"  
  
Evan straightened and cleared his throat, "Oh no! Of course not! Why should I be jealous?"  
  
"Well, I'm glad you're not! And you don't have to worry about anything," Sirius exclaimed, clearly relieved, "Snix and I just have an understanding."  
  
Evan looked confused, "Snix? Who's Snix?"  
  
Lily raised her hand, "Me!"  
  
"Er." Evan seemed puzzled, but then tentively replied, "I won't ask."  
  
"Good plan!" Lily laughed, kissing his cheek.  
  
Sirius looked a bit disgusted, but this time said nothing about this very blatant display of affection.  
  
Just then James walked up. He was about the same height and build as Evan, but was less intimidating because of his immaturity.  
  
"Look what I found!" James cried, stretching an elastic band between his fingers. He seemed to be having trouble holding it though.  
  
"Ow! You great oaf!" Lily exclaimed, rubbing the spot on her forehead where the rubber band had hit her, "Watch how you handle that thing!"  
  
"Oops." James replied, trying not to laugh. Even Evan was holding back a snicker.  
  
Suddenly, as if on cue, Sirius, James, and Evan all burst out laughing, leaving Lily as the only one in the group not laughing.  
  
Lily grumbled as she stalked back to a seat next to Andrea and Patrick, who, like many others in the common room, had been watching the situation with great amusement.  
  
"Looks like you were having fun," Patrick greeted lightly.  
  
"Yeah, I was! Until that idiot Potter came!" Lily muttered menacingly.  
  
"Calm down, Lils! It was just a rubber band!" Andrea replied rationally.  
  
"Yeah, one that just happened to hurt like hell!" Lily grumbled. A moment's pause and then, "He's just so immature!"  
  
Patrick and Andrea looked at each other and nodded knowingly.  
  
"What?" Lily asked, throwing her hand out in front of her.  
  
"Nothing," Andrea and Patrick replied quite guiltily.  
  
Lily sighed, "Oh, whatever." and with that, she walked up the stairs after a quick, "'Night!" over her shoulder. 


	5. Tryouts

Thanks to the following reviewers:  
  
Cherry Flavoured Hippo: I know what you mean! He's a lot like some people I know!  
  
Emily Woodmark: You're very welcome!  
  
Ling Radcliffe: Thank you very much for the compliment!  
  
: Thanks!  
  
Natalia: Thanks for both of your posts! Lol! I really appreciate it!  
  
Hpfan1750: I'm glad I did too! I really missed this story! Hope you enjoy this next chapter! Oh, and the whole rubber band thing? Try to remember how much Lily isn't very fond of James! I wouldn't go so far as to say hate.  
  
A/N: None of my reviewers has said it yet, but I do realize my chapters are kind of.well, short! So I'm trying to make them longer! I really am! Starting with the chapter after this next one! Which might just take a little more time between updates! Especially now that school's started (EVIL!)! Just wanted to apologize in advance! And on with the chapter.  
  
CHAPTER 5:  
  
Two months later, life at Hogwarts for James was in full swing. The Quidditch season was starting in a week, and he was possibly the most excited person at Hogwarts. As Quidditch captain for Gryffindor, it was his job to seek out new prospects to replace those who had graduated the previous year. This year, he was looking for a new chaser and keeper. James was very excited, and had posted the tryout times in the common room the week before. He had managed to get everyone else almost as excited as he. But not quite.  
  
Today was tryout day, and James had finished dressing in his Quidditch robes. He was now on the pitch, facing his new prospects with his hands on his hips.  
  
"Alright, to be on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, you've got to know what it takes. You'll have to be prepared for playing in any weather conditions, and you'll have to make it to practices on time," James started his speech, stressing the last two words. He had been mulling over this for the past couple of weeks. He wanted to make a hard-core impression on the other students, so there would be no messing around later in the year for important games, when it mattered. However, his intent concentration on the students was broken as he was rudely interrupted by a shout.  
  
"Hey, Potter! Wait!" Lily Evans dashed across the Quidditch pitch, robes on, broom in hand.  
  
James looked exasperated as he watched the redhead bound towards him. As she drew closer, he asked, irritated, "What do you want?"  
  
Not missing a beat, Lily replied, "Obviously, I'm here to try out for the Quidditch team."  
  
"Yes, but why?!?" James asked, scrunching up his face.  
  
Lily had a look on her face that clearly showed what she thought of James' intelligence level, "Obviously, I love Quidditch. Even you should know that, being the dumb ass that you are."  
  
James looked a little dumbfounded. He turned a bit red as some of the students auditioning started to snicker, "Well I don't know you very well, so maybe I wouldn't know that simply.delightful fact."  
  
"Well, me being here might've given you a hint!" Lily replied, a smirk on her face, arms crossed.  
  
James' red tinge deepened as he looked away from Lily, "As I was saying."  
  
His speech went on for a good twenty minutes before finally, he announced, "All right! Now, people trying out for keeper, please gather on my left. Those trying out for chaser, gather on my right!"  
  
However excited or overwhelmed by power he was, James did not fail to notice Lily walk to his right side.  
  
"We'll start with keepers!" James shouted, Lily's face in the corner of his eye, "Chasers! Please stay here!"  
  
After much waiting for the chasers, and many drills for the keepers, James left his keepers at the side of the pitch, and headed over to the chasers, "All right, first, I want you all to fly through the obstacle course I've set up in the air. Then, we'll test you out on the keepers."  
  
And so they did. James was surprised to see Lily excel at the highly- coveted chaser position. She was probably one of the best ones there. However, Crystal Towers was pretty damn good, too, and she didn't seem to hate James nearly as much as Lily did. It was going to be a tough decision.  
  
"So what should I do?" James breathed, placing his hands on his knees. Tryouts had been over for an hour, and here he was, waiting for and answer from his three friends: Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and of course, Sirius, who were all staring back at James, eyebrows raised. For a few moments, there was silence, until Sirius replied slowly, "So you either pick the hot girl who is clearly the best at what she does, and who also happens to make your life, as you described, a living hell.OR! You pick the nice shy girl who, although good at what she does, does not hold a candle to girl number one.Am I right?"  
  
James nodded, rubbing his chin, his brow furrowed as he thought, "Yeah, that pretty much sums it up." He looked back at his friends for the verdict.  
  
Remus laughed, "James, you need serious help."  
  
James looked bewildered, and exclaimed, "Yes! That's why I came to you people!" Peter stared back and forth at each speaker.  
  
Remus stopped laughing and replied, "No, I meant serious help, not us!"  
  
James looked confused, "You mean Sirius?"  
  
"No, I mean qualified help!"  
  
"You people are as qualified to solve my problems as one gets!"  
  
"No, I mean professional help!" Remus exclaimed, getting fed up with James' inability to understand the words that were coming out of his mouth.  
  
Before James could reply, Sirius interrupted, "James! This isn't even a question!" He laughed, standing up.  
  
James slowly replied, "Well, if I'm asking it, I think it does indeed qualify as a question. Who do I choose?"  
  
Remus shook his head, "James, think about it.Who's the one who can get you that Quidditch Cup?"  
  
Sirius smiled and he and Remus walked to the boys' dormitory with Peter following closely behind.  
  
James sank back in his seat, realization dawning on him.  
  
"Lily, I need to talk to you," James stated boldly. He was standing in front of the redhead, who was chatting it up in front of the fire with Evan, Patrick, Andrea and two other Gryffindor girls, Cordelia Adams and Melissa White.  
  
Lily stared up at him questioningly. James almost got lost inside those bright green whirlpools. There was just something about them.  
  
He shook himself out of it in time to hear Lily reply, "Sure."  
  
They walked over to the corner of the room. Lily looked confused and suspicious, but said nothing. Reluctantly, James spoke, "I just thought you should be the first to know, that.if you still want to be, you are the new Gryffindor chaser."  
  
Lily absolutely lit up, "Oh, I do! I want to be the new chaser!" She was indeed, so excited, that without thinking, she wrapped her arms around James and gave him a hug.  
  
James didn't pull away. He felt comfortable, because Lily was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, which ruled out any possible way of slipping some sort of knife up her sleeve.  
  
He probably could've stayed in that position all day, but he knew Evan was still in the common room, and it would've been too risky.  
  
Either way, Lily pulled away, and for the first time ever, she gave him a genuine smile. All natural, 100% concentrate, no sarcasm or cockiness added. 


	6. Rooster Calls

Title: False Perfection Summary: Lily thinks her life is perfect- a great boyfriend, great friends, good grades, and pretty much anything a sixteen-year-old girl could want. But maybe her life isn't so perfect. Maybe the missing piece is the person she'd least expect it to be.R/R! Rating: PG-13 Disclaimer: Everything's J.K.'s except a few characters, some of the plot, and most of the events.  
  
Thanks to the following!!! ;).  
  
Midnightlily: Thanks very much! VeelaStar (post#1): I know! He's one of my favourites too! (Yes, I know there are only four!) VeelaStar (post#2): Thank you very much for not only putting me in your faves but for the big compliment! I'm really trying to make this story original here, if ya couldn't tell! ;) Serendipity: Thank you very much for permission for use of your idea and also for the compliment! I really enjoy your story and I hope you keep writing soon!  
  
Author's Note: Right, well, I realize I haven't written in what may seem like a long time, but I'm back! (Aren't you all so lucky?!?!?) Anyway, I know I said that this chapter would be long, but I really don't think it's all that much longer than the other five. I swear, I'm gonna try for the next one though!  
  
IMPORTANT!!!!!! (well, not really, but my story looks weird otherwise!!!!!): In some sentences, you may see a word and then a period (with no space) and then another word! The period is supposed to be three dots in a row, to signify a pause or a drawn-out sentence! Sorry 'bout that! And on with the story.  
  
Rooster Calls  
  
Early the next morning, Lily was awoken by what sounded like a rooster's call. Drearily, she opened her eyes, only to wish she never had. There, standing in the doorway of her dormitory, was James Potter, a roster had on his head. In his hand was an object that resembled a megaphone, but well.this one had.feathers.  
  
"Er, James.did Sirius do that to you?" Lily asked, trying desperately not to laugh.  
  
James looked genuinely confused for a moment, then, "Oh, my hat? No! Why would you think that?!?"  
  
Lily shook her head, "Never.er.mind."  
  
James shrugged, "Well, anyways, there's a team practice in a half hour at the pitch. I couldn't book it any other time, so you better get a move on."  
  
Before Lily could protest, James was out the door, which he had slammed behind him.  
  
Lily sighed and looked around. She found it almost amusing how none of the other girls had woken up if not by the sound of the door slamming, then at first by the loud, obnoxious call of the rooster.  
  
Again she sighed as she pulled back her covers and walked towards the bathroom. However, a small smile played on her lips as she walked.  
  
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"Lily! Where have you been?!?" Evan asked, an alarming look of concern on his face. Lily's exhausted face looked up at his and she answered, "Quidditch practice."  
  
"But it's only ten! And James' Quidditch practices usually last about five hours.so you got up at five!?!?" Evan exclaimed.  
  
"Actually, four-thirty," Lily admitted.  
  
"NO wonder you look so horrible!" Evan gawked. Lily raised an eyebrow, and he hastily added, "I meant so.tired! Why don't you go change and come back down? I'll have some pillows and chicken soup ready!"  
  
Lily laughed, "I'm not THAT tired, and I'm certainly not sick, so you can skip the soup. However, I do think I'll go change."  
  
With that, she stalked up the stairs, leaving her relieved boyfriend standing at the rail.  
  
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When Lily came back down, she found Evan seated on a couch next to Cordelia, opposite to the coach holding Patrick and Andrea. Of course, both couches hade only two seats. Which meant.  
  
"No room for me," Lily muttered as she stopped behind Evan.  
  
Andrea and Patrick both looked up, which caused Evan and Cordelia to look behind them.  
  
"Lily!" Cordelia exclaimed, looking quite flushed, "Here, take my seat, I'll move.I'll just go-"  
  
She was cut off by a protesting Lily, "No, Cordelia, don't worry about it! I'll just.go find Sirius!"  
  
Before any of her friends could protest, Lily was off to the other side of the common room, where a ruckus was being made by none other than Sirius Black, who was sitting with Peter, James, and Remus.  
  
"Somebody once told me." Sirius' voice boomed out, "I was made of fur. So I told theeeeeeemm!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
But Lily didn't hear what Sirius told them, because at that moment, he noticed her standing there, and he greeted her with a friendly, "Hi Snix!"  
  
Lily smiled warmly, starting to like the nickname, "Hi Sirius!" She sat down in an armchair facing the fire.  
  
"What brings you to our neck of the woods?" James asked curiously. He and Lily had been on considerably good terms ever since she had made the team, but they hadn't fully trusted each other yet.  
  
"Forest?!? That means trees!!" Sirius exclaimed, a mad grin on his face, "Where?!?!?" He looked around.  
  
Lily ignored Sirius' remark and answered James, "I dunno.I just thought I'd come sit with you guys today. It's all right, isn't it?" She looked somewhat nervous all of a sudden.  
  
"What? You're asking?? Of course it's all right!" James exclaimed, a grin on his face.  
  
Lily took no notice to his oddly cheerful behaviour, but instead grinned and replied, "Good."  
  
She wasn't the only one who hadn't noticed. Sirius was still looking around for his trees, and Peter, was well.being Peter. Remus, however, noticed the strangeness, and gave James a curious look. James, in return, shot Remus a pleading look.  
  
Understanding perfectly, Remus exclaimed, out of the blue, "So! How about those Cannons?!?!?!?"  
  
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Later, in the boys dormitory, James and Remus were talking alone. Sirius and Peter were downstairs still, talking to Lily.  
  
"Remus, you can't tell anyone!" James exclaimed, his facial expressions and voice full of obvious panic.  
  
Smiling slyly, Remus asked James airily, "And what, exactly, can't I tell anyone?"  
  
James, if it was possible, got even more frantic, "Remus! You know what I mean!"  
  
Remus' grin grew wider, "You know, James, I don't think I do." He sat down on James' bed, and placed his hand on his chin, elbow propped on his knee, "Please, enlighten me."  
  
James, by now, had figured out Remus' ploy, but knew that if he didn't say it, Sirius would be screaming it in the common room any minute now.  
  
"Alright." James gave in. He looked uncomfortable, "Well, see, I know I kinda maybe sorta didn't like Evans- I mean Lily! In the past, but now I kinda maybe sorta think that I might luhgluasuwnas." James trailed off.  
  
"Who in the what now?" Remus asked, thoroughly enjoying James' discomfort.  
  
"I think I might like Lily!!" James shouted, giving in to Remus' questions.  
  
"Oh. hmm. Why don't you want me to tell anyone?" Remus asked, this time not exactly sure of James' reasoning. Remus, of course, could think of numerous reasons as to why one might not want someone else knowing who they like, but he never could figure James out.  
  
"Well, first of all, if Sirius found out, the whole school would know in two minutes and 34 seconds," James started. Remus didn't bother to ask why James had given him that specific number, but instead sat quietly, listening, "And of course, I'd be the laughingstock of the whole school, because everyone knows that Lily has a boyfriend! And not only that, I'd get teased by Malfoy and Snape, AND! Evan and Patrick would most likely hate me forever, which would not be very comfortable, considering we're all in the same dorm. Not to mention the fact that Lily would know, and I think we could at least be friends, if not more, but if she found out, there'd be no chance of that!" James had said this all very fast, and Remus only sat for a few moments, processing the information.  
  
"I see," Remus replied, standing up.  
  
"You're not going to go tell anyone now, are you?" James asked hesitantly, wincing in expectation.  
  
"Of course not!" Remus said, as if it were obvious, "What kind of friend would I be if I did that?!?!"  
  
James grinned, "Thanks Remus!"  
  
Remus had a smile not to James' extent, but large enough, "Anytime, Prongsie."  
  
"Chess?"  
  
"You're on! But no crying when I beat you, like last time!"  
  
"I wasn't crying! Sirius threw lemon juice in my eye!"  
  
"Uh-huh.I'm sure he did!"  
  
"Fine, don't believe me!"  
  
"Done, and done."  
  
And with that, they walked out of the dorm and down to the common room.  
  
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Ah, a little confession there! Next chapter will be up soon, hopefully! Please review! 


	7. Jeopardy

**Title: **False Perfection 

**Summary: **Lily thinks her life is perfect- a great boyfriend, great friends, good grades, and pretty much anything a sixteen-year-old girl could want. But maybe her life isn't so perfect. Maybe the missing piece is the person she'd least expect it to be…R/R! 

**Rating:**PG-13

**Disclaimer: ** Everything's J.K.'s except a few characters, some of the plot, and most of the events… 

_Wow! 18 reviews from 14 reviewers! Yay! Lol! Thanks to the following!!! ;)…_

**Lilyflower8602: ** Why 2 minutes and 34 seconds? Hmm…you'll see some time!! ;) Oh, and about Cordelia and Evan? Only time will tell…;) 

**Kidfun7: **Will do! ;) 

**tania: ** I'm glad you think so! ;)

**YoukaiTaiji-ya (formerly known as ChaChaChica): **Glad you loved the first chapter, if not the rest! That is, if you got around to reading them…;)

**George: **You are quite the nice person! ;) Thanks for the chapter-by-chapter breakdown! I really appreciate it! Hopefully I can use your critique to make the next chapters all the better! ;)

**kristatwen: ** I know! Sirius is crazy and all, but I've got something planned for future chapters! ;)

**fluffe123232002: **Hey Heather! Of course I'll email you when I update! Either email, or I'll tell ya on MSN! ;) 

**PranksterQueen: **Glad you think so! ;) 

**Senna:** I'm trying! ;) 

**Liz: ** Thanks for both of your posts! I'll email you as soon as this is posted!

**duckmiso: **Maybe I'll check Sin out! Thanks for reviewing! ;)

**mystikalolo: **Thank you! ;)

**Phoenix28: **I'm glad you see it, too! And thanks for the wonderful review!

**Lawwwren: **Thank you for all three of your reviews! They really made me proud to have you as a reviewer! ;)

_Author's Note: Is it just me, or do I use ;) __-- that guy entirely too much!?!? Probably just me…I'm sooo sorry it's taken me so long to update! It's been what? 6 months? Crazy! Again, very sorry! Anyway, here's more! Hope you like it! This is by far the longest chapter I've written for this story! Or rather, am about to write! ;)_

**CHAPTER 7: _JEOPARDY_ **

The first Quidditch match of the season was on its way to Hogwarts. Gryffindor would be pitted against Ravenclaw, and both thought their own would conquer (This was back when Ravenclaw had a pretty good team, so Slytherin and Gryffindor didn't have too much more talent.). The Slytherins, of course, would be cheering for Ravenclaw, and the Hufflepuffs were evenly divided between the two. 

Both teams could be seen training for the leering match. If one wasn't on the pitch, the other was, with the exception of class times. If anyone was nervous though, it was Lily. It was, after all, her first match ever, and she wanted it to go well. She was slightly worried that she would end up making a fool of herself in front of the entire school, but told no one this, with the exception of Andrea. 

The day of the match, the team was eating breakfast, and going over their tactics for the battle. 

"Right. Well, I think you all pretty much got the idea," James concluded after a good half hour of a very repetitive one-sided conversation. The rest of the team just nodded, either completely bored by the whole speech, or too nervous to do much more. 

The team stood, gathering their brooms and such, preparing to head out to the pitch. As they did so, they received whispers of good luck from various students, mainly Gryffindors. Lily, of course, received a good luck kiss on the cheek from Evan. Then, they walked together, in an unintentionally organized fashion, their faces set. The Slytherins hissed as they passed, but then, that was expected. 

When the team reached the corner of the pitch, they all stopped to survey their surroundings. Some of the new players looked a little nervous, unsure as to why they were just standing there. Others were used to James' manner before a game, and waited for him to say something. 

"Hmm.……..The ground's a fair bit moist, but not so much that we won't get a good takeoff. The skies are clear of clouds and birds, so it shouldn't be too hard to spot the Snitch. The Sun's a bit bright, today, though, so try not to get blinded. It'll move west as we play on, so watch out for it! Hopefully, you all remember the plays we've been practicing. If not, don't worry too much about it. Just do what you feel is right, and we can work on it later. This is, after all, only our first game," James informed the team. They all nodded, signifying that they were at least awake, if not listening, and waited for more. 

However, before James could even open his mouth, the doors to the front of the school opened at students poured out, anxious for the game to start. 

"Right! Best be getting off to the locker rooms to change! Hurry up now!" James ordered, and of course, the team went. Lily didn't even have anything to say about his ordering them about. But then again, she did look a little bit sick at the prospect of her very first Quidditch game. She had hardly said a word all morning! 

The announcer for the game that day was a Hufflepuff by the name of Davey Gudgeon, which was the best the teachers could do for the match. If they had picked a student from any other house, there would have of course been biased commentating. This Hufflepuff in particular was impartial to both teams, though maybe wasn't the most, well, knowledgeable about Quidditch. 

Remus, Sirius, and Peter were seated with their fellow Gryffindors. They had come to the match with Patrick, Andrea, and Evan, as they were all in the same year. Though they hadn't invited her, Cordelia came along anyway, and there was no protest. 

Lily waited nervously behind the wooden gates to the pitch with the rest of her teammates. She looked around at her new teamsters (A/N: lol! Sorry to interrupt and all, but I looked 'teammate' up in my computer thesaurus thing, and I thought that was hilarious! So I put it in ;)), hoping to see some sort of reassurance in their expressions, but instead found looks of confidence, something she didn't feel at the moment. She looked up at James, who was at least a foot taller than her, and somehow managed to catch his eye. He looked startled to see her staring at him at first, but then grinned slightly, and she grinned back. She somehow felt a bit better about the upcoming match, and relaxed a bit. Not a lot, but it was a start. 

From behind the gates, they could hear the commentating start... 

"Welcome, fellow classmates of Hogwarts, to a beautiful Saturday afternoon here on the Quidditch pitch!" There were loud cheers from all around the stands. It was clear that Davey had been practicing for this moment. However, this was as far as he'd gotten in his speech. He figured that after a sentence or two, he'd get the hang of it and be fine. However, it seemed that the Whomping Willow had hit him a little too hard in the head the year before, because he was absolutely flustered. 

"Um, we, of course, are, um, here...to watch...Quidditch! Yes that's it! Quidditch! And it's a, um, lovely morning! Oh wait, I already said that, didn't I?!? Ohhhhhh!!!" Davey was quite upset with himself. Lily felt so bad for him. It was, after all, his first time commentating. However, she was a bit glad by this show. Maybe then if she messed up, it wouldn't be so bad compared to Davey's abysmal commentating! She nearly slapped herself for being so horrid, but that was before Davey started to speak again, "Um, well...We have Gryffindor pitted against Ravenclaw, as I'm sure you all know! And...here are the Ravenclaws!" Davey looked like he was about to vomit, as he turned pale and had a sickly look on his face. However, he took a few breaths, and this seemed to calm him down. 

"And it's Davies, the captain of the team, as well as their ever-excellent Beater!" Davey exclaimed. Cheers sounded from the crowd. Or rather, two-thirds of the crowd. 

Lily half-smiled, glad that Davey had gotten over his slightly awkward beginning. However, she heard a scoff coming from her left, where she knew James was standing. She wasn't sure if this was because he wasn't glad that Davey had regained his composure, or whether he was a bit miffed at the line about Samuel Davies' skills, though she was leaning toward the latter. 

"And Ravenclaw's other beater, Gregory Deadmarsh! Quite a morbid name, but I think his skills will prove the opposite!" More cheers were heard, and Davies seemed to gain more confidence. He continued, getting quite excited, "And their Chasers! Stephanie Nash, Darryl Sutter, and Bradley Conrad! I've heard they're quite the line, and today's game will be an example of that!" Davey was bouncing in his seat now, practically giddy, "And the Ravenclaw Keeper, Graham Dredge! Following close behind, it's, last, but not least, Daniel Hopkins! I have been informed that he is one of Hogwarts greatest Seekers since...well, since a long time ago!" 

Even in the dim light, Lily could see James rolling his eyes and smiling at her. Lily smiled shakily back, and waited for the Gryffindor introductions. 

"First we have James Potter, Gryffindor Captain, and the team's Seeker! (A/N: I am thoroughly confused about what position James plays! I honestly don't remember! So whatever! He's a Seeker in this story!) From what I've heard from the girls in the common room, he's not only charming and an overall nice guy, but an amazing Quidditch player as well!"

Lily knew that there were girls who liked James, especially after the many chocolates he'd received the year before on Valentine's Day, so this didn't come as much of a surprise to her. She looked over at James, and noted that he didn't seem too surprised either, as he had a rather cocky grin on his face. But Lily only got a glimpse of it as James pushed open the gate and flew out onto the pitch.

"And now, the Gryffindor Beaters! Misters Scottie Upshall and Brooks Laich! Scottie is a seventh-year, and Brooks, a sixth-year! Together, they are a threat to any team! And the Chasers!" Lily picked up her broom, and mounted, taking a deep breath before doing so. "First we have Amanda Upshall, little sister to Beater Scottie! She is a fifth-year, and this is her fourth year on the team! Next we have Stephen Gilroy! He is a fifth-year as well, and I can tell you right now, that several Hufflepuffs believe he is on his way to breaking the Hogwarts all-time points record!" 

Lily looked at Stephen, amazed. He had never said a word about his playing skills, though Lily could see in practices that he was a very good player. She only hoped she could be half as good as him. 

"And the final Gryffindor Chaser, new to the team, just joined this year- sixth-year Lily Evans! Lily beat out several amazing Chasers to win her position on this team, and I'm betting James Potter has high expectations for her!" Lily gulped, and flew out onto the pitch. It was like a dream. A blur of images surrounded her. The green grass below, the gorgeous sky above...and between it all, the faces of her fellow classmates. Kids she'd known since first year, she found somehow intimidating. Even Andrea and Evan seemed to shadow her from their spot in the stands. 

She quickly snapped out of her reverie, and flew towards the center of the pitch, where both teams were getting in their positions. Lily took her position as well, and nervously stared up at Madame Hooch, the referee for the match. Madame Hooch looked to both sides of her, at both teams to see if everyone was ready. Then she blew her whistle and threw the Quaffle up into the air. 

For a moment, the red ball seemed to be suspended in the air, and Lily stared at it, as if in slow motion. But then, within a second, a blur of red shot past her.

"And it's Stephen Gilroy who initially takes possession of the...Quaffle, is it? Right! Well, Gilroy speeds down the wing, and passes to Amanda Upshall, who diques around Bradley Conrad, and passes to..."

Lily took hold of the Quaffle. It took her a moment to realize it, but she soon got over it, and pointed her broom towards the opposition's goal posts. She swerved around the Ravenclaw Chasers, and narrowly missed a Bludger sent her way by Gregory Deadmarsh. 

She was very close to Dredge, the Ravenclaw Keeper. He smiled slowly, as if he knew what she was going to do. This frightened Lily, so she did the only thing that came to mind, and threw the Quaffle to her left. Luckily, Stephen was there to catch it, and he quickly threw it into the center hoop.

"And Gryffindor scoooorrrrrrreees! The Gryffindor Lions take a 10-0 lead over Ravenclaw! This match is shaping up to be quite exciting!" 

And the match went on. Gryffindor was playing an amazing match, but Ravenclaw was holding their own. Within an hour of play, the score was tied 120-120. Davey was getting tired.

"And that Ravenclaw girl...what's her name? Well, whatever it is, she sends a bludger to what's-his-face, who careens around the thingamajig and flies to the..." This is where he fell asleep. His snores could be heard throughout the stadium, since he was so close to the microphone. 

A Hufflepuff girl who was quite the chatterbox could be seen telling people around her about how nervous Davey was the night before, and how she had helped him late into the night, rehearsing for his commentating, which was probably why he was so tired now. She tended to speak in run-on sentences, and no one could get her to shut up. 

That was until Davies sent a Bludger hurtling Lily's way. He seemed to like her as a target, since she was racking up points for her team, and getting many assists for the goals. 

The Bludger hit Lily straight in the stomach. Lily wasn't even paying attention, so this was very unexpected for her. Naturally, she dropped the Quaffle in her hands, and started to slide off her broomstick. 

Meanwhile, James had finally spotted the Snitch, and noticed from the corner of his eye that Daniel Hopkins had seen it as well. But James had the advantage: he was at least twenty feet closer to the golden ball than Daniel. 

Just as James was speeding towards the ball, he noticed Lily slide off her broom. He was torn between winning the match and saving one of his best Chasers. He looked at the Snitch, and then at Lily, and back and forth, and to and fro. 

He had to make his decision fast, because he was nearing the point where it would be impossible to save Lily, if he kept going straight. 

Finally, he turned his broomstick downwards, and sped to Lily's aid. He grabbed the redhead by the sleeve, and noticed they were very close to the ground now. James helped Lily onto his broom, not noticing the gasps from the crowd around him. 

James looked up and saw Daniel Hopkins close his fingers around the Snitch, and he winced. They had lost the match. 

_Yes, you dolt, but you saved Lily!_ James thought. It certainly was better than winning any game. And now she would be grateful forever, and maybe...

_No! She'll never like you, James! She's with Evan! She'd never leave him for you!_

James flew slowly down to the ground, with Lily barely holding onto his robes for support. She was winded from the Bludger. 

A crowd of teachers and students awaited him on the grass. Evan held Lily, who was shaking. James got off his broom, and immediately saw Sirius, Peter, and Remus, who smiled at him. 

"I'm so proud of you Jamesie! You saved someone's life! And Lily's, no less!" Sirius cried, overjoyed. He then glared suspiciously, "And I thought you hated her..."

Remus shook his head, "I never thought I'd see the day James Potter put Quidditch second. But you proved me wrong James."

Sirius nodded, "Ravenclaw may have won points-wise, but it was a moral victory for the Gryffindor Lions."

Peter nodded, "Great flying, James! You would've beat Hopkins even if you were forty feet behind him."

James shook his head, "Thanks guys."

Just then, Professor McGonagall walked over, "Well done, Mister Potter. Miss Evans will reside in the hospital wing if you wish to visit her later." James nodded, and Professor McGonagall turned and walked away. 

"You coming, James?" Remus asked, as he, Sirius, and Peter turned towards the castle. 

"I'll be there in a second," James responded. He walked over to Lily and Evan, who was holding his broomstick. 

Lily and Evan turned towards James, and they both smiled. 

"Thanks for saving me, James," Lily grinned, "But we lost."

"You're worth more than any game, Miss Evans," James smiled, "Evan, you take care of her now. Make sure she doesn't fall off of anything else! I won't always be there to save her."

Evan smiled, "Of course James. Thanks for saving her. I don't know what I would've done if you didn't save her."

_Probably kill me_, James thought. But he smiled, and took the broomstick from Evan's hands, "I should probably be getting inside. Sirius will probably be holding a victory party in the common room."

Lily's brow furrowed, "But, we lost!"

"Yeah, but you know Sirius," James rolled his eyes, and mimicked, "'It was a moral victory for the Gryffindor Lions.'"

Evan and Lily laughed, but both stopped when Lily clutched her stomach, and winced in pain. 

"We should get you inside, girlie," Evan stated, as he picked her up in his arms and carried her to the castle, "See you later, James!"

"Yeah, I'll see you..." James called after them. He then turned, broomstick in hand, and walked towards the locker room, where he took a long, hot shower, and thought about the day's events. 

And about how stupid he was to think that he would ever have a chance with _the_ Lily Evans. 

~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^~*^  


_Well, that was the long-awaited (yeah, right) seventh chapter! I hope you guys liked it! I don't know why it took me so long to get up, but it did! And now it's here! Sealed, signed, and delivered! Well, not quite signed yet..._

_~*~*Shree*~*~_

_There we go! Please review! Cyaz! ;)_


	8. Hero

**Title: **False Perfection

**Summary: **Lily thinks her life is perfect- a great boyfriend, great friends, good grades, and pretty much anything a sixteen-year-old girl could want. But maybe her life isn't so perfect. Maybe the missing piece is the person she'd least expect it to be…R/R!

**Rating:**PG-13

**Disclaimer: **Everything's J.K.'s except a few characters, some of the plot, and most of the events…

_Thanks to the following!!! ;)…_

**Phoenix281: **Yes, he has a heart. Just goes to show how much he likes Lily, huh? Thank you! I'll be sure to write another update email. Hopefully, you'll still care to read this!

**Liz: **Well, thanks! ;)

**Lawwwren: **I'll for sure try to make this chapter longer, and I'll try to update more, too!

**KV: **Will do! ;)

**duckmiso: **Thanks sooo much!

**laughoutloud: **Thanks! :D

**FEAngel258: **I'll try!!

**HiThere: **Haha, okay, I'll try to make them turn out well!

**starblaze:** I'll try!

**Life, Love Sanity: **Sorry it wasn't that soon, but thanks! Oh, and yeah, I thought it was a bit confusing, too. But I just love the name Evan on a guy. Haha, I was trying to make him likeable but not too likeable...apparently you don't like him at all! ;)

**One Bright Star: **Haha, thanks Sun! Ugh, I hate difficult choices...

**cHoCoLaTeZ: **Yeah, it's been a bit longer than that...14 months since I last updated...ugh, I feel horrible.

**Sabre-X: **Thanks!

**Aurora Calista: **Hey Heather! I know, it's been sooooo long! You haven't been on msn enough lately to keep reminding me to update! ;)

**Dreamdust219:** I did post this on the boards! But then it got deleted, and I never bothered to put it up again! I'm glad you found it again, too!

**umm im not tellin:** Ah, I love users who think they're cool by posting stupid reviews on stories. Seriously, very cool. /sarcasm

**TiffanyWriterMainiac:** OK! ;)

_Author's Note: Holy crap, guys! I am SO sorry I haven't updated in awhile! Actually, more than awhile. It's been something like 14 months. I guess I never really had the incentive to keep writing this story. But I definitely will keep updating, for the few people that like it. ;)_

* * *

**CHAPTER 8: _HERO_**

For the next few days, everywhere James went, someone was there to congratulate him. Even those who didn't know him or Lily were awed at how heroic his performance was.

Needless to say, Daniel Hopkins was not pleased that all of his glory had been taken away. Most people glared at him as they passed in the hallways. They just couldn't understand why anyone would continue to go after the Snitch, even when James Potter, the most Quidditch-obsessed person at Hogwarts, put saving someone before it. There were several instances where he could be found saying that he had yelled at James to catch Lily, because he was too far off. It wasn't long before no one would listen to him anymore.

Lily had felt horrible since the match. She felt she had cost Gryffindor it's chances of winning the Quidditch Cup, and had been worried that the team would resent her. But, like Sirius had said, it had been a moral victory for the Gryffindor Lions, and every Gryffindor seemed to recognize this. Lily had been assured many times that losing one match wouldn't cost them the Cup, and not to worry about it. However, she still got that feeling that everyone secretly hated her for falling.

James had been much nicer to Lily since she fell. She felt it was because he knew how guilty she felt, but all the same welcomed the better attitude towards her. James was a lot more likeable when he wasn't being snappy and hurtful.

However, if there was one thing in her life at the moment that she wished she could help, it was her relationship with Evan. Ever since James had saved her, Evan had been very accusatory and jealous of any guy that so much as talked to her. Lily supposed this was because so many guys (and girls, but Evan had only been suspicious of one gender) had come up to her and expressed how glad they were that she hadn't gotten hurt. Still, it was hard to be in a relationship with someone who didn't completely trust her. However, this wasn't how Evan saw it.

"I trust _you_, Lils! It's those guys that I'm suspicious of! You're gorgeous, Lily, don't you know that?? And you're kind, and caring, and funny, and sweet...any guy would be more than willing to have you, and I know that most of those guys would do anything to get you. I just don't want to lose you!" he had tried to explain when Lily confronted him about his jealous behaviour.

"Well, Evan, maybe you should at least understand that most guys won't try to get me, because they know that I have you! Believe it or not, there are certain people you _can_ trust, and I'm not the only one. You've been snappy even towards Sirius and James. _James_! James who saved my life! And Sirius...he's not even that interested in girls! Besides, no girl could put up with his attention span. So would you please stop hitting him upside the head whenever he gets within ten feet of me?? He's starting to get a bruise."

Evan complied with all of Lily's requests, though he could still be found eyeing any males that talked to her, which was very few at this point, most of them knowing about Evan's jealousy.

One evening, when Lily was in the common room with Andrea, Patrick, and Evan playing chess, they were interrupted by a sobbing Cordelia, who had just run through the portrait, closing it quickly behind her.

Immediately, the game was forgotten, and looks of concern crossed everyone's face.

"Oh my God, Cordelia, what happened?" Andrea said.

"Th-this guy...he tried to...he tried t-t-to r-rape me..."

Without delay, Evan and Patrick stood up, shaking with anger.

"Who is he?" Evan growled, balling his fists. Lily had never seen him so mad.

Both and Lily and Andrea stood to comfort Cordelia, wrapping their arms around her.

"I don't know his n-name...I think he's in Slytherin. He sat next to me at dinner today...he seemed really nice, he asked me about my family and we talked about Quidditch and a lot of other things. He offered to walk me back up here. He wasn't going the normal way, but he told me it was a shortcut. He led me behind this portrait...then he starting kissing me, grabbing me. I told him I wasn't comfortable with what he was doing, but he didn't listen. He just kept going and told me to enjoy it, because I was going to be there for awhile. Suddenly I realized what was going on and started kicking and thrashing. Finally, he let up a bit and I took the opportunity to run as fast as I could. I took random turns, trying to throw him off. Somehow I found my way up here, and ran in as fast as I could..."

She started sobbing again.

"Shh, it's going to be okay. Everything's going to be fine." Lily said in a soothing voice, while Andrea stroked Cordelia's hair.

Patrick interrupted the moment by saying, "Don't worry, Cordelia. Evan and I are gonna find this Slytherin bastard. Tell us what he looks like, and if we ever see him, we're going to make sure he's sorry."

Cordelia smiled weakly, "Th-thanks, guys..."

"Tonight you need rest. Come on, let's go upstairs." Andrea suggested, and her and Lily led Cordelia through the common room, not bothering to answer the questioning glances their fellow Gryffindors were giving them.

* * *

_So yeah, that was kind of a poor excuse for an update. I'm sooo sorry, but at least I finally updated! I'll try to do so again as soon as I can!_

_Shree_

_Please review! Cyaz! ;)_


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